Capturing apparatus

ABSTRACT

According to one embodiment, a capturing apparatus includes a capturing unit configured to capture a moving image video, a storage unit configured to store the moving image video captured by the capturing unit, an operation unit configured to include a plurality of keys used to instruct playback of the moving image video stored in the storage unit, a skip playback unit configured to play back the moving image video while skipping the moving image video at predetermined time intervals every time a predetermined operation is made on the operation unit, and a playback control unit configured to switch the time intervals skipped by the skip playback unit based on the total playback time period of the moving image video.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority fromJapanese Patent Application No. 2005-271084, filed Sep. 16, 2005, theentire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

One embodiment of the invention relates to a capturing apparatus forcapturing a still image and a moving image.

2. Description of the Related Art

In recent years, multi-functional digital apparatuses such as digitalstill cameras, digital video cameras, and the like have remarkablyprevailed. Various proposals for improvement of the operability of suchmulti-functional digital apparatuses have been made. For example, Jpn.Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2000-115707 proposes a techniqueassociated with playback speed control by means of the rotation angle ofa dial.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

A general architecture that implements the various features of theinvention will now be described with reference to the drawings. Thedrawings and the associated descriptions are provided to illustrateembodiments of the invention and not to limit the scope of theinvention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a video capturing apparatus in astate in which a display unit is stored according to an embodiment ofthe invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the video capturing apparatus in astate in which the display unit is extracted according to theembodiment;

FIG. 3 is a view for explaining a jog dial and OK button of the videocapturing apparatus according to the embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram showing the arrangement of the videocapturing apparatus according to the embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a table for explaining a plurality of playback operationsaccording to the embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a view showing the data structure of one MPEG moving imagefile;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing playback control according to theembodiment;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing 1/20 skip playback control according tothe embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a view for explaining the number of GOPs when the length of afile is divided into 1/20 according to the embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a view for explaining a skip destination (GOP position) foran operation input by a right key or left key according to theembodiment; and

FIG. 11 is a view for explaining playback control depending on the filelength to prevent playback of a moving image file as short as aboutseveral ten seconds from instantaneously ending during high-speedplayback based on the rotation angle of the jog dial according to theembodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various embodiments according to the invention will be describedhereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. In general,according to one embodiment of the invention, a capturing apparatuscomprises a capturing unit configured to capture a moving image video, astorage unit configured to store the moving image video captured by thecapturing unit, an operation unit configured to include a plurality ofkeys used to instruct playback of the moving image video stored in thestorage unit, a skip playback unit configured to play back the movingimage video while skipping the moving image video at predetermined timeintervals every time a predetermined operation is made on the operationunit, and a playback control unit configured to switch the timeintervals skipped by the skip playback unit based on a total playbacktime period of the moving image video.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show an example of a video capturing apparatus accordingto the invention. FIG. 1 shows a state in which a display unit is storedin a storage unit provided to a main body which forms the videocapturing apparatus. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the display unit isset to allow the user to watch a video displayed on it.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the video capturing apparatus comprises amain body 1. The main body 1 comprises a lens 2, electronic flash 3,still image record button 4, display unit 5, moving image record button6, jog dial 7, arrow keys 8, menu button 9, zoom bar 10, mode lever 11,power button 12, and the like.

Furthermore, the main body 1 comprises a storage unit 21, which canstore the display unit 5. The display unit 5 is configured to bemovable, and can be extracted from the storage unit 21 to adjust itsdisplay screen to an arbitrary angle. The display unit 5 comprises anLCD (liquid crystal display) 51 and loudspeaker 52.

FIG. 3 is a view for explaining details of the jog dial and an OKbutton.

As shown in FIG. 3, the jog dial 7 is formed into an annular shape. Thisjog dial 7 is configured to be rotatable clockwise and counterclockwise.Note that the shape of the jog dial 7 is not limited to the annularshape but it may be a polygonal annular shape.

Furthermore, the circular arrow keys 8 are arranged inside the jog dial7. The arrow keys 8 comprise an OK key 81 at the central position, an UPkey 82 at the up position, a DOWN key 83 at the down position, a rightkey (direction key) 84 at the right position, and a left key (directionkey) 85 at the left position.

FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram showing the arrangement of the videocapturing apparatus that has been explained with reference to FIGS. 1 to3.

As shown in FIG. 4, the video capturing apparatus comprises a CCD 101, asignal processing circuit 102, an encoder (JPEG/MPEG) 103, a memory 104,an HDD 105, a memory card 106, a decoder 107, an LCD driver 108, the LCD51, a LAN controller 110, a USB controller 111, a LAN terminal 112, aUSB terminal 113, a CPU 114, and the like. These components areconnected via a bus 115.

In response to the operation of the still image record button 4, the CCD101 converts light (still image) obtained via the lens 2 into anelectrical signal. Or in response to the operation of the moving imagerecord button 6, the CCD 101 converts light (moving image) obtained viathe lens 2 into an electrical signal. The signal processing circuit 102converts the electrical signal output from the CCD 101 into a digitalsignal. The encoder 103 encodes the digital signal of the still imageinto an image signal compliant to JPEG. Or the encoder 103 encodes thedigital signal of the moving image into an image signal compliant toMPEG. The HDD 105 stores an image signal provided via the memory 104.The detachable memory card 106 similarly stores an image signal providedvia the memory 104. The decoder 107 decodes an image signal provided viathe memory. The LCD driver 108 controls to drive the LCD 51 based on thedecoded image signal, and outputs the image signal onto the LCD.

Upon playback of a recorded image, the decoder 107 decodes an imagesignal provided from the HDD 105 or memory card 106 via the memory 104.The LCD driver 108 controls to drive the LCD 51 based on the decodedimage signal, and outputs the image signal onto the LCD 51.

When an image recorded in the HDD 105 or memory card 106 is to betransferred to an external apparatus (PC or the like) or an image isreceived from the external apparatus, such image is exchanged from theUSB terminal 113 via the USB controller 111. Also, an encoded image canbe directly exchanged with an image recording and playback apparatus(e.g., DVD recorder) without the intervention of the external apparatus(PC or the like).

In general, when an image is to be transferred to a DVD recorder, anencoded moving image is decoded on the transmission side (the videocapturing apparatus side), and is output as an analog signal via a videoterminal or S terminal. Then, the analog is re-encoded and saved on thereception side (the moving image recording and playback apparatus side).With this method, one hour is required to record an image which wasrecorded for one hour on a DVD or the like.

However, this video capturing device can transfer an encoded image asstreaming data intact to the image recording and playback apparatus viathe network, as described above. With this data transfer, a transfertime 1/10 or less of the real recording time can be achieved although itdepends on the compression ratio upon encoding. In addition, high imagequality can be maintained since the image is not re-encoded. Forexample, when only the transfer time about 1/10 of the real recordingtime is required, a moving image which was recorded for one hour can berecorded on another recording medium in about six minutes. When a LAN isassumed as the network, image data is exchanged using the LAN terminal112 via the LAN controller 110. Note that data to be transferred can beaudio data in addition to a moving image and still image.

The playback operation will be described below with reference to FIG. 5.When a playback mode is selected by the mode lever 11, a list ofplayback items (e.g., thumbnails of moving images) is displayed on thedisplay unit. The user selects a playback item using the jog dial 7, andinputs a playback start instruction using the arrow keys 8 (up key 82).

Moving image playback includes the following modes, and these playbackoperations are as shown in FIG. 5.

1. Normal playback (equal-speed playback)

2. Reverse Playback (equal-speed reverse playback)

3. High-speed playback faster than normal playback (fast-forwarding,one-touch skip, etc.)

4. High-speed reverse playback faster than reverse playback(fast-rewinding, one-touch replay, etc.)

5. Frame-by-frame advance playback

6. Frame-by-frame reverse playback

Note that the reverse playback, high-speed playback, high-speed reverseplayback, frame-by-frame advance playback, and frame-by-frame reverseplayback will be generically referred to as trick playback. Since theaforementioned video capturing apparatus reads out image data from arandomly accessible medium such as the HDD 105, memory card 106, or thelike, an image that the user wants to watch can be easily and quicklyretrieved.

The jog dial 7 outputs information of a rotation amount (rotation angle)and rotation direction to the CPU 114, which controls the entire system,in response to its rotation. For example, the jog dial 7 outputs pulsesaccording to a predetermined rotation angle. For example, when the jogdial 7 is rotated through n°, it outputs one pulse. The CPU 114 countsthe number of pulses per unit time, and calculates a rotation angle(rotation velocity) per unit time. In this way, the CPU 114 acquires therotation information including the rotation amount (rotation angle),rotation direction, rotation velocity, and the like of the jog dial 7during execution of the playback mode, and controls the playbackoperation based on this rotation information. The arrow keys 8 informthe CPU 114 of pressing of the OK key 81 at the central position, thatof the UP key 82 at the up position, that of the DOWN key 83 at the downposition, that of the right key 84 at the right position, and that ofthe left key 85 at the left position. The CPU 114 controls the playbackoperation based on pressing of each key of the arrow keys 8.

As can be seen from FIG. 5, when the jog dial 7 is rotated upon movingimage playback, the playback speed can be finely varied. However, uponplaying back an image which was recorded for a long period of time, whena time period from an image that the user is currently watching until animage that the user wants to watch is long, a relatively long period oftime is required even by highest-speed playback until the image that theuser wants to watch is reached. For example, about two minutes arerequired even by 15×-speed playback until an image 30 minutes ahead ofthe image that the user is currently watching is reached. In case ofhigh-speed playback, if the next file is a moving image file as short asseveral ten minutes, playback of that moving image file endsinstantaneously, and playback of the next file starts unwantedly.

Hence, the CPU 114 has the following two playback control modes.

Playback control 1: The CPU 114 controls fast-forwarding orfast-rewinding playback after it controls the forwarding or rewindingamount of a video (after it switches the skip interval of a moving imagevideo) based on the rotation angle of the jog dial 7.

Playback control 2: The CPU 114 controls fast-forwarding orfast-rewinding playback after it controls the forwarding or rewindingamount of a video (after it switches the skip interval of a moving imagevideo) based on pressing of the right key 84 or the left key 85 of thearrow keys 8 and the playback time period of a video to be played back.For example, the CPU 114 controls to forward or rewind a video by steps1/n (n: a natural number) the playback time period of a video for onefile.

With the latter playback control, when an image which was captured for along period of time is to be played back, if a time period from an imagethat the user is currently watching until an image that the user wantsto watch is long, the image that the user wants to watch can be found ina short period of time. Or when an image which was captured for a longperiod of time is to be played back, if a time period from an image thatthe user is currently watching until an image that the user wants towatch is short, the image that the user wants to watch can be foundwithout missing.

The CPU 114 may variably control the high-speed playback speed of thejog dial 7 based on the playback time of a moving image file. Forexample, with the variable control of the high-speed playback speed bythe CPU 114, the high-speed playback speed of a moving image file lessthan a predetermined time period (e.g., a moving image file as short asseveral ten seconds) is relatively low, and that of a moving image fileequal to or longer than the predetermined time period is relativelyhigh.

FIG. 6 shows an example of the data structure of one MPEG moving imagefile. The MPEG moving image file includes a header 201 and a videoobject 202. The header 201 includes information associated with thevideo object 202. The video object 202 includes a plurality of VOBUs(Video Object Units) each having data compressed by MPEG. The number ofVOBUs is proportional to the capturing time. One VOBU has compressedcaptured data for 0.5 sec, i.e., one GOP (Group Of Picture) and manypieces of header information. For example, for capturing for 10 minutes,10 minutes×60 seconds/0.5=1200 GOPs are generated. The header 201includes VOBU_ENT information, which records the sizes of respectiveVOBUs. For example, the header 201 of the video object 202 including1200 GOPs records size information for each of 1200 GOPs.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the playback control by the CPU 114.Initially, the number (T) of GOPs of the entire file is acquired fromthe VOBU_ENT information (ST301). The number (s=T/20) of GOPs isacquired by equally dividing the entire file by 20 (n=20) (ST302). FIG.9 shows the number of GOPs when the file length is divided into 1/20. Atthis time, when the capturing time is as short as 200 sec or less, s=10is fixed, or s is increased with decreasing capturing time (ST303,ST304). That is, upon playback of a short file, if this file is skippedat time intervals 1/20 of this file, the skip interval becomes veryshort, resulting in an inconvenient function. The high-speed playback bymeans of the jog dial 7 is faster. Hence, upon playback of a short file(a file whose playback time period is less than a predetermined timeperiod), s is fixed or s is increased with decreasing file length, andthat file is played back to the end (ST305, ST306). In this manner, thisfunction can be conveniently used.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the 1/n (n: a natural number, e.g., n=20)skip playback control by the CPU 114. Note that upon playback of a shortfile (a file whose playback time period is less than the predeterminedtime period), 1/m (m: a natural number, m<n) skip playback control isexecuted since s is fixed or s is increased with decreasing file length,as described above. This playback control is executed in response to anoperation input of the right key 84 or the left key 85 of the arrow keys8. The number of the GOP which is being played back from the first GOPis calculated. A time is acquired from the decoded time code of MPEG,and the number of the current GOP can be calculated based on 1 GOP=0.5s.Assume that the current GOP is the k−th GOP (ST401). If the operationinput of the left key 85 is detected, rewinding is executed (ST402,left); if that of the right key 84 is detected, forwarding is executed(ST402, right). In case of rewinding, the k−th GOP is skipped to the(k−s)−th GOP; in case of forwarding, it is skipped to the (k+s)−th GOP(ST403, ST404). However, if k−1 is 1 or less in case of rewinding, thek−th GOP is skipped to the first GOP; if k+s is larger than the totalnumber T of GOPs in case of forwarding, the k−th GOP is skipped to thelast GOP (ST405, ST406). That is, the 1/20 skip playback is controlledto have the last or first GOP of the video as a limit. If the number ofthe GOP to be skipped from the first GOP is determined, its position isacquired from the VOBU_ENT information shown in FIG. 6, and an image isskipped to that position (ST407, ST408, ST409, ST410). FIG. 10 shows askip destination (GOP position) in response to the operation input ofthe right key 84 or the left key 85.

Note that this 1/20 skip is also effective for trick playback such asreverse playback, high-speed playback, high-speed reverse playback,frame-by-frame advance playback, frame-by-frame reverse playback, andthe like. Furthermore, when the right key 84 or the left key 85 is keptpressed, forwarding or rewinding is continuously done by 1/20.

Another embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 11.FIG. 11 is views for explaining playback control depending on the filelength to prevent playback of a moving image file as short as aboutseveral ten seconds from instantaneously ending during high-speedplayback based on the rotation angle of the jog dial 7. As shown in FIG.11, assume that a second file is as short as ten-odd seconds whilehigh-speed playback of first, second, and third files is continuouslydone. When the playback control according to the file length is notapplied, only several frames (two frames in this example) of the secondfile are played back, as shown in (a) of FIG. 11. By contrast, when theplayback control according to the file length is applied, the playbackspeed of the short file can be decreased. As a result, more frames (fourframes in this example) of the second file can be played back, as shownin (b) of FIG. 11. That is, the total captured time is detected from theVOBU_ENT information shown in FIG. 6, and if a short moving image fileis detected, the high-speed playback speed is fixed to a low speedwithout exception or is decreased with increasing file length. That is,the CPU 114 controls fast-forwarding or fast-rewinding playback after itcontrols the forwarding or rewinding amount of a video based on therotation angle of the jog dial 7 and the playback time period of a videoto be played back.

With the above control, the following operation effects can be obtained.

In case of high-speed fast-forwarding or high-speed fast-rewinding(e.g., 15×-speed), a longer time period is required to reach a scenethat the user wants to watch with increasing playback time period of amoving image. Likewise, in case of high-speed fast-forwarding orhigh-speed fast-rewinding (e.g., 15×-speed), the user is more likely tomiss a scene that he or she wants to watch with decreasing playback timeperiod of a moving image. According to the invention, fast-forwarding orfast-rewinding can be done at 1/n steps of the playback time period ofthe moving image irrespective of the playback time period of the movingimage, and a time period required to reach a scene that the user wantsto watch can be shortened. Furthermore, as for a short moving image, thehigh-speed playback speed by means of the jog dial 7 can be decreased.As a result, adequate high-speed playback with high visibility can beprovided.

While certain embodiments of the inventions have been described, theseembodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are notintended to limit the scope of the inventions. Indeed, the novel methodsand systems described herein may be embodied in a variety of otherforms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in theform of the methods and systems described herein may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the inventions. The accompanying claims andtheir equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modification aswould fall within the scope and spirit of the inventions.

1. A capturing apparatus comprising: a capturing unit configured tocapture a moving image video; a storage unit configured to store themoving image video captured by the capturing unit; an operation unitconfigured to include a plurality of keys used to instruct playback ofthe moving image video stored in the storage unit; a skip playback unitconfigured to play back the moving image video while skipping the movingimage video at predetermined time intervals every time a predeterminedoperation is made on the operation unit; and a playback control unitconfigured to switch the time intervals skipped by the skip playbackunit based on a total playback time period of the moving image video. 2.The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operation unit comprisesa dial key and arrow keys used to play back the moving image video whileskipping the moving image video at the predetermined time intervals, andthe playback control unit switches the time intervals skipped by theskip playback unit based on a rotation angle of the dial key, andswitches the time intervals skipped by the skip playback unit based onpressing of one of the arrow keys and the total playback time period ofthe moving image video.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, whereinthe playback control unit switches the time intervals skipped by theskip playback unit at 1/n (n: a natural number) intervals of the totalplayback time period of the moving image video.
 4. The apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein the playback control unit switches thetime intervals skipped by the skip playback unit at 1/n (n: a naturalnumber) intervals of the total playback time period of the moving imagevideo with reference to a current playback position.
 5. The apparatusaccording to claim 3, wherein the playback control unit switches thetime intervals skipped by the skip playback unit at 1/m (m: a naturalnumber, m<n) intervals of the total playback time period of the movingimage video based on the fact that the total playback time period of themoving image video is less than a predetermined time period.
 6. Theapparatus according to claim 3, wherein the playback control unitswitches the time intervals skipped by the skip playback unit at 1/m (m:a natural number, m<n) intervals of the total playback time period ofthe moving image video with reference to a current playback positionbased on the fact that the total playback time period of the movingimage video is less than a predetermined time period.
 7. The apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein the operation unit inputs an equal-speedreverse playback instruction, and the playback control unit controlsequal-speed reverse playback of the moving image video based on theequal-speed reverse playback instruction of the operation unit, andswitches the time intervals skipped by the skip playback unit at 1/n (n:a natural number) intervals of the total playback time period of themoving image video based on a predetermined interval skip playbackinstruction of the operation unit during the equal-speed reverseplayback.
 8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operationunit inputs a pause instruction, and the playback control unit controlspause of playback of the moving image video based on the pauseinstruction of the operation unit, and switches the time intervalsskipped by the skip playback unit at 1/n (n: a natural number) intervalsof the total playback time period of the moving image video based on apredetermined interval skip playback instruction of the operation unitduring pausing.
 9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein theoperation unit inputs a frame-by-frame advance playback instruction, andthe playback control unit controls frame-by-frame advance playback ofthe moving image video based on the frame-by-frame advance playbackinstruction of the operation unit, and switches the time intervalsskipped by the skip playback unit at 1/n (n: a natural number) intervalsof the total playback time period of the moving image video based on apredetermined interval skip playback instruction of the operation unitduring the frame-by-frame advance playback.
 10. The apparatus accordingto claim 1, wherein the playback control unit switches the timeintervals skipped by the skip playback unit at 1/n (n: a natural number)intervals of the total playback time period of the moving image videobased on a predetermined interval skip playback instruction of theoperation unit to have the last or head of the moving image video as alimit.
 11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the playbackcontrol unit continuously switches the time intervals skipped by theskip playback unit at 1/n (n: a natural number) intervals of the totalplayback time period of the moving image video based on a predeterminedinterval skip playback continuous instruction of the operation unit. 12.A capturing apparatus comprising: a capturing unit configured to capturea moving image video; a storage unit configured to store the movingimage video captured by the capturing unit; an operation unit configuredto include a plurality of keys used to instruct playback of the movingimage video stored in the storage unit; a skip playback unit configuredto play back the moving image video while skipping the moving imagevideo at predetermined time intervals every time a predeterminedoperation is made on the operation unit; and a playback control unitconfigured to switch the time intervals skipped by the skip playbackunit based on a total playback time period of the moving image video,wherein the operation unit includes a dial key used to play back themoving image video while skipping the moving image video atpredetermined time intervals, and the playback control unit switches thetime intervals skipped by the skip playback unit based on a rotationangle of the dial key and the total playback time period of the movingimage video.